Bad Boys and Guardian Angels
by Gadjo
Summary: When Major Crimes is suddenly faced with Blair's painful acceptance of being teased and bullied, they act to stop both the teasing and their friends poor self-esteem.


_Denote thoughts._

**People would rather be deceived than convinced that the**  
**opinion they formed of a person at first sight was incorrect.**

_OK. The reports are sent. Our notes are typed and in the out-box. The station web page is updated; I still can't believe Simon won that bet._ Looking up from the computer, Blair Sandburg scanned the bullpen of Major Crimes. _Nope, still no Jim._ Continuing to look around, Blair wondered where his partner and their Captain, Simon, had gone. The three of them had planned to go out to lunch in celebration of solving a case that had been bothering them but, just before Blair arrived, Jim and Simon had been called into a meeting and had yet to return. _It's not like I don't have something to do._ Picking up his every-present backpack, he pulled out a book and was soon engrossed in the possibility of Sentinels in ancient Egypt.

"Get away from there!"

Looking up at the man stalking toward him, Blair slowly pushed his chair a bit farther away from the desk. "What?" He asked, hoping against hope that he had misunderstood. _Yea, man, the guy just looks like he wants to kill you but he's really a big teddy bear._

"I SAID, Get away from there!"

"Sure, man." Standing, careful to keep his hands in plane sight, he stepped away from the desk. _Come on, Jim. Feel free to show up any time._

"Now WHAT exactly were you thinking sitting at THAT desk?"

_When did I get pushed against the wall? Oh, he asked me a question._

"I was waiting for my partner." _A partner who I am going to KILL if he doesn't get down here soon._

"Your partner, huh?"

"Yes, sir. My partner, Jim Ellison." _Where IS everyone?_

"Nice try, kid. To bad for you, I know Ellison and he'd break you in half before he'd have you as a partner. What happened, Narc's kick you out for getting a little to close to the customers? You decide to come up here and cause a little trouble before they take your shield?"

_Why do bad guys always think they should pound my head against the wall?_ Leaning back, trying futilel uselessly to keep his head from hitting the wall with each shake of the hands holding him airborne, he concentrated on trying to call help._ I'm a shaman, I should be able to do SOMETHING with that to get me out of here._

"I asked you a question, kid. You gonna tell me what you were really doing behind Ellison's desk?"

"DROP HIM, NOW!"

Smiling softly, Blair looked over his captor's shoulder at a very large, very angry, very wonderful sight. "I told you," He said looking back at his captor. "I was waiting for my partner."

Feeling himself dropped, he tried to get his legs under him in time but slipped on a strap to his backpack

"Whoa there, Chief." Looking up, Blair stared somewhat blurrily into the face of his partner.

"Took your time, didn't you?"

"Sorry, Chief. Got away as soon as we could."

"No problem. I was doing alright until Mr. Testosterone here showed up."

As though the words had reminded him, Blair could feel his partner stiffen under his hand. Turning to look at the attacker in question, Jim slowly stepped between his partner and the man.

"Well, Kay, mind tell me what you thought you were doing just now?"

"Getting the Kid away from your desk. Actually claimed to be your partner, if you can believe it. I was gonna give a little advice on lying and then hold him till someone showed up to do something with him." _At the rate you were shaking me, I'd have been black and blue by the time someone showed up._

"Did it ever cross your mind to believe him?" Resting his hand on the small of the larger man's back, Blair hoped Jim would calm down enough not to physically attack *Kay*.

"What are you mean? Wait a sec! Your not saying this SHRIMP really is your partner?"

"This MAN is a member of the best partnership in the precinct. And, since I don't know you, I seriously suggest you explain EXACTLY who you are before I charge you with attacking one of my men."

_Way to go, Simon_. Nodding softly to the captain, Blair knew that he, like Blair, had noticed how close Jim was to attacking the man and was trying to give him a chance to calm down without letting the bad guy have a chance to breath.

"You mean the Kid really is a cop?!"

"THAT is not what I asked you. Now, who are you and what are you doing here?"

"First, who are you?"

_That's it, man. Make enemies of EVERYONE in the room. Great plan._

"I... am Captain Simon Banks. And I am getting tired of asking who you are."

"Sorry, Sir. Officer Norman Kay, retired."

"Well, Officer, would you mind explaining what possessed you to march into my station and attack one of my men at his desk? And feel free to explain why you ignored him when he told you who he was."

"Hey, Cap what's... You ok, Sandburg?"

Looking at the door where Brown and Rafe had just entered the room, Blair just brushed his now wild hair behind his ear and smiled; nodding seemed to aggravate his headache. "Fine, guys. Just had a little misunderstanding."

Noticing the stranger and the way the men around him were standing (Simon blocking his access to the door and Jim standing between him and the much disheveled Blair), the two quickly set the remains of their lunch on their desks and came to join in circling the man.

"What happened, Captain?"

"That's what we were just about to find out. Seems this guy found Blair at his desk; decided he was some perp; ignored his claims about who he was; and, when Jim and I arrived, had Blair up against the wall and seemed to have given him quite a shaking. Mr. Officer Norman Kay, retired, was about to tell us exactly what he thought he was doing. Weren't you, Mr. Kay?"

"Yes, Sir."

_Man, you are such a liar!_ Listening to the first few lines of the man's excuse for attacking him, Blair felt Jim getting even angrier. Stepping a little closer to him, and making small soothing circles on the small of his back, he focused on being calm and spoke so quietly that only Jim would hear him.

"Relax, Jim. It would look really bad for you to kill a retired Officer with your bare hands. Not to mention where that would put Simon. I mean, he is your friend so he'd have to help you and then, since he is a cop, he'd have to arrest you and himself. You wouldn't want to do that to Simon. And, of course, Brown and Rafe are also your friends so they'd probably have to help too. Think about it. That makes four cops to one ex-Officer. There wouldn't be enough room around him for you to even get a good punch in. Anyway, you and Simon still owe me a lunch today and I would really prefer that we didn't eat it in a holding cell." Feeling the muscles under his hand relax, he glance at his friends face and felt himself relax when he saw that Jim's teeth had stopped grinding.

"So what's your take on all this, Sandburg?"

"Sir?" Glancing at Simon, he saw the Captain nod his head slightly in Jim's direction to let him know that he knew what he had been doing.

"I said, what's your story?"

"Oh. Well, I was sitting here waiting for you and Jim to get back. I finished typing the case notes and filling out the forms so I was reading a book on – Oh, yeah. I did that web page update I owed you too. I decided those old colors were kinda dull so I added some"

"The story, Sandburg."

"Sorry. Well, I was reading when someone yells for me to get away from the desk so I back up a little thinking maybe something's wrong or something. Then this guy stomps over to me and asks me what I think I'm doing. I tell him I'm waiting for Jim and, the next thing I know, I'm up against the wall and he's telling me about how Jim would never have me as a partner and I must be some Narc reject trying to cause trouble before I get arrested. Then he just shook me until you two showed up and Jim told him to drop me."

_Now lets see who they believe, shall we?_ Watching the men around him, Blair saw them nod their heads at him and then turn their collective anger back on Mr. Kay.

"Well, Mr. Kay, it seems we have a slight conflict of stories here. Would you care to change yours?"

"Me?! You're going to believe this KID !?"

"Yes. I happen to know this KID and he wouldn't lie about this. You, I don't know and, from what I have seen so far, I don't really want to."

"No, Sir. You don't." Staring at Jim, as these were the first words he had spoken since Simon had begun speaking, he stilled his hand from its circles.

"You two know each other, I take it?" Simon asked without taking his eyes completely off the stranger.

"Yes, Sir. It took me a minute, but I remember him. Kay and I worked Narcotics at the same time. He was known for being a little ...excessive... in handling the prisoners."

"Come on, Ellison. You can't still be mad about that. It was years ago, let it go. I'm passing through, moved to Chicago a few years ago, and thought I'd take you out for a drink and see if all the hype about you was true."

"Sorry, Kay. I'm washing my hair." That's it man. Breath. Calm.

"Now, Mr. Kay, as it seems Jim is going to be busy, I seriously suggest you see about those plans for getting back to Chicago. Unless you want to press charges, Blair?"

"No, as long as he leaves me alone I'll leave him alone." Just leave!

"There now, nothings left to hold you in town. Brown, if you and your partner would be so kind as to escort Mr. Kay to the door we'll see about getting back to work."

"If you'll come this way."

Watching Brown and Rafe escort him away, Blair released a breath he hadn't even known he was still holding.

"Well, guys, where do you want to go for lunch." Grabbing his bag from its trampled spot against the wall, he stuffed the book he had been reading back into it and looked up at his two friends.

"Are you ok, Sandburg?"

"I'm fine, Simon." _Oh man,_ _I know that look WAY too well_. "Ok. I've got a little headache and the back of my head feels a little tender. Now, can we go? I'm hungry." _Please, let it go._

"Let me see your head, Chief." Turning his head dutifully, Blair felt gentle fingers massage the back of his head. As always, where ever they touched the pain seemed to lessen.

"It seems all right. You've got a little bruising but that seems to be it."

"See. I told you I was ok."

"Good. Now would YOU mind telling me why you didn't call for some help when that oaf grabbed you?"

Watching the cigar bob as Simon tried to talk and chew on it at the same time, Blair perched on the edge of the desk and looked at the two men before him.

"Because I'm used to it." He said with complete honesty. Knowing that they would never understand, he continued. "I've always been small. When I was in high school every guy who saw me picked on me. When I got into the university it wasn't quite as bad but I still got, and get, picked on by the jocks and guys who just happen to be bigger than me. I'm used to it. If you let them have their little show of strength they usually leave you alone. You fight back and they make sure you regret it." Absently rubbing his right hand, he tried to keep his voice from betraying his emotions. As usual, they caught on right away.

"What happened to your hand?"

Instantly stopping the rubbing, he knotted both hands in the straps of his pack. "When I was about fifteen I had this huge crush on a girl in my biology class. Well, one day I finally ask her out and she says 'yes'. I get all dress up and, just as I get to her house, this guy grabs my arm and pulls me into the neighbor's yard where we can't be seen because of some large bushes. He tells me that she is HIS property and that if I know what's good for me I'll go home and forget about it. I tell him 'no' and turn around to go to the door. He grabs my hand and gives me one last chance to turn around. I say 'no' again."

"What happened?"

Realizing he had stopped, he took a deep breath and forced a smile at his friends. "I got my date. We got to spend the entire evening together waiting in the emergency room for someone to look at my hand. I had two broken fingers and couldn't lift anything with that hand for three weeks. Turned out she and I didn't get along anyway. When we moved about a month later, the two of them were the hottest couple in school."

"So you just live with the bullies picking on you?"

"It's no big deal, Jim. Most of them have stopped since I started working with you and most of the others have gotten tired of me by now. I let them have their fun yelling at me and, sometimes, taking swings at me but I still ignore their request for easy A's. Some of them have even become my friends after they stopped picking on me." Seeing that his friends were still far from at relaxed he rushed on. "It's really ok. I'm fine. The bad guys gone. Forget it and let's go eat."

"You really don't think this is any big deal?"

"No, I don't." _Come on. Believe me, please?_

Sharing a glance that he knew meant they were sure to bring it up again later, they nodded. "I guess we just wait to tell Brown and Rafe that we are o.k. and then we can go eat."

"Good idea." Fighting the urge to reach up and rub his sore head, Blair tried to center himself before Simon realized how bad his headache really was. It was useless to try and hide it from Jim; they were close enough that hiding anything from the other was almost impossible.

"We waited and saw him right into a cab, Captain." Knowing that Brown and Rafe were watching him, Blair increased his efforts to look normal, if not chipper.

"Thanks guys."

"No problem, Hair boy. You doing ok?" Smiling at the exact copy of Simon's question, he answered them.

"I am fine. My head is a little sore- Jim already checked it out and pronounced me healthy- and I have a headache. Now, Jim and Simon were supposed to take me out to lunch and, since later is better than never, we are going to be going." Standing, careful not to jump down and risk jarring his head, he smiled at the four, overly protective men before him.

"I AM FINE." Sharing a glance with Jim, he headed for the door. Jim would convince them that he was fine, promise to keep an eye on him, and have Simon and himself through the door in a few minutes.

"You ready to talk about it, Chief?"

Closing his laptop, Jim probably watched to see when I was getting ready to quit, he just nodded.

"How about we talk over a beer?"

Smiling at his roommate, he stood and took the offered beer. "It really isn't that big a deal." _No use telling him its NO big deal, he knows me too well for that._

"Nice try, Sandburg. To bad I can hear your heart beat. When we showed up it was way to fast and it has sped up just since we started talking about it."

Taking a long drink from his bottle, Blair stared at his friend. "I just wasn't expecting it. I expect some people to treat me bad just because of my size. Like I told Simon, I'm used it. But in the bullpen, you guys don't really bug me about it. You tease me but I know you're my friends so I don't mind. Even most of the people at the university have stopped bugging me. I guess I've just gotten out of practice with people picking on me just because of my size. Lately most of the people who pick on me are doing it because of my working with you. I was just a little surprised." Taking another drink and refusing to meet his friend's eyes, he consciously slowed his heartbeat. "Just give me a few hours of meditation and I'll be as good as new."

"Sure, Chief. But do me a favor?"

"What?" _Man, you NEVER let me get off this easy. What are you up to?_

"Go start that meditation your hearts a little to fast for my comfort. Then get some sleep."

"Sure thing, Jim. See you in the morning." _I don't know what you're up to but I am way to tired to try and figure it out right now._

"See ya, Chief."

_Do we really pick on you because of your size?_

Staring at the ceiling, Jim wondered about what Blair had said: **"But in the bullpen, you guys don't really bug me about it. You tease me but I know you're my friends so I don't mind."** Although he had said it to make him feel better, Jim could tell that it had affected him.

_Have I teased him about his size?_ Thinking over the last few weeks, Jim had to admit that he had. He hadn't done it cruelly or anything, but he had done it. As he continued to think back, he realized that many of Blair's *friends* in the station had, however casually, teased him about his height. Deciding what he had to do about it, Jim relaxed and went to sleep.

"You gonna come by the station after class?"

"I have to tutor a few students but I should be by around two."

Plenty of time. Nodding absently, Jim finished his coffee and headed for the door.

"See you later, Chief."

"See ya."

Driving to the station, Jim refined the plan that had hatched in his mind the night before. _Now, if I can just talk to the rest of the guys._

"He really thinks that?"

"He really thinks we think less of him just because he's a little shorter than we are?"

"Yea, Simon. It seems so. He said last night that we teased him but he didn't mind it because we were his friends, but I could tell. It apparently affects him a lot but he's just so used to being picked on that he thinks its normal." Rubbing his hand through his short _hair, Jim tried to get the idea of Blair just accepting it without question out of his mind._

_Why didn't you tell me? Did you think that I wouldn't care? Just how badly has my teasing affected you?_ With questions of self-doubt circling his mind, Jim finally managed to calm down enough to look back at his Captain. Only to see his own fears reflect back at him.

"I know we tease the kid, but I never really thought about how he might take it. He must think we're complete bullies."

"No. That's just it, Simon. He thinks it is perfectly normal. He's so used to being picked on that he just expects us to pick on him even if we are his friends. It's like its some disease, people see him and just pick on him no matter what." Leaning forward in his chair, Jim starred at the man before him. "It really does bother him, Simon. I think he thinks we, I don't know, maybe that we think he's not good enough to be here and so we pick on him as revenge."

"No way! That Kid is as much a cop- in some cases even more of a cop- than anyone else on the force. I just don't see how he can be so observant sometimes and so blind at others."

"That's just it, Simon. What did you just say?"

"That he can be so observant"

"No! He called him 'Kid'."

"So? Oh, I get it."

Lost in their own thoughts, the two men thought over all the times they had spoken and, possibly, made their friend feel unwanted or like less of a member of the team.

"I call him 'Kid', but I definitely didn't mean to make him feel like one. He just reminds me of Daryl sometimes with all his energy. We have got to talk to him about this. What's your plan? I assume you do already have a plan?"

"A start of one, yea."

"So what do you think?"

Looking around the crowded room, every face still lost in personal memories of possible insults, Jim smiled. Things had gone well. Everyone had been seriously shocked at the idea that Blair felt less important just because of his size and had gone instantly silent when he mentioned that their teasing had possibly contributed to it. Now, having laid out his plan, everyone was considering it.

"It sounds good to me." Brown said slowly.

"Yea," Rafe agreed. "I don't think he'll know what hit him."

"Maybe we can shock him speechless?" Joel added with a smile.

"Sounds good then. Everyone knows what they need to do, let's get to it. Jim, you get Blair out of the loft on time and we'll take care of the rest."

Nodding to his friend, Jim leaned back and felt the headache he had carried since his talk with Blair begin to disappear. "I'll get him out on time. We should be gone about an hour or so. Just give me a call if you're gonna need more time and I'll come up with some errands to run."

"You heard the man. The loft will be empty. I'll be there at four to open the door and I expect the rest of you to be right behind me."

Hearing the "Yes, Sir's" echoed around the room, Jim got up and head back to his desk with a much lighter conscience.

"You mind tell me why you suddenly got the urge to go across town for dinner?" Blair asked from his side of the truck.

"There is no reason. I just felt like some good fish and Ali's Fish House just happens to have the best fish in town. If you didn't want to come, you didn't have to."

"No man, its fine. You just don't usually do the whole 'travel across town just to eat' business. Your senses ok and everything?"

"I AM FINE. You know, the next time you complain about me being a mother hen I am going to remember this."

"Sure, man. Everything is fine. You wanted fish; we're going for fish. No biggy. Right?"

"Right." Smiling at the contented silence between them, Jim asked the question he hadn't been able to get out of his head.

"Do I hurt you, Chief?"

"Huh? You'd never hurt me." Suddenly worried about his friend, Blair turned until he was facing him. "What's going on, Jim. You know you'd never hurt me. I think it must be some Sentinel/Guide thing; I don't think you COULD really hurt me." _Come on, Jim. I know something's going on in that head of yours. Talk to me, man. Its kinda hard to guide you when I don't know where you are._

"I don't mean physically. I KNOW I could never hurt you physically. But, do I hurt you mentally?"

"What do you mean?" _Where is this coming from?!_

"I mean, do mind that I call you 'Chief'? Do I tease you too much about your size?"

Staring into the suddenly serious eyes before him, Blair realized what was going on.

"Your still thinking about what that Kay guy did?" _It's been days and you're still stressing about that?_

"Yea, I am. Do you think I treat you like that? I know I tease you sometimes, but I NEVER meant to make you feel like less than my full partner."

"It's ok, man." Relaxing now that he knew nothing was wrong, Blair leaned against the door behind him and studied the man before him. They had reached the restaurant and parked but neither was ready to get out yet.

"No, it isn't. Have I hurt you? Be honest, I want to know. Do I hurt you?"

Looking deeply into his friend's eyes, Blair replied with complete honesty.

"Yes, at first it did hurt when you teased me. But it doesn't hurt anymore. Now I know you don't mean it to hurt me. It's just the way you are. I mean, I don't mean it when I tease you and I now you mean it the same way. I... I kind of think of you like a big brother. You can tease me and stuff, but I know deep down you'd never do anything to hurt me. We can tease each other because we know that, when it really counts, we will always be there to back each other." Still staring into his friend's eyes, willing him to see the truth of his words, Blair marveled at how *sensitive* the larger man really was. _You may be a tough cop, Jim, but you a definitely a gentle soul._

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I guess I never really thought you might take it seriously. Do you accept my apology?"

"You don't have to apologize. You didn't know that I was going to take it so seriously." _Man, now you're taking guilt for things you didn't even know about._

"It doesn't matter, Chief. I hurt you, however innocently, and now I'm apologizing. Do you accept my apology or am I going to have to beg?"

"I accept." Smiling at each other, the two men relaxed content in the knowledge that all was once again clear between them.

"Wanna go eat now?"

"Sure, Chief. Let's go eat."

Parking the truck, Jim got out and headed for the elevator.

"That was great!"

Chuckling at his friends continued praise of dinner; Jim turned his hearing up and focused on the loft. _Yep. Everything's ready._

"Chief, why don't you head up? I forgot I borrowed a magazine from Simon and I'm supposed to read it tonight and get it back to him in the morning."

"Sure. I'll put some coffee on for us."

"Thanks, Chief. I'll be right back." Ducking back into the elevator, he went down one floor and got back out. Climbing the stairs back up to the loft, he focused his hearing on his friend and smiled.

_Jim actually forgot something? Jim never forgets anything._

Still wondering how Jim could have forgotten something, Blair opened the door and had just dropped his keys in the basket when he noticed something strange. Why is the loft look like a kindergarten? There are crayon pictures by the stairs, there's a chalkboard set up behind the table and the chairs are arranged to face it. _What is going on here?_ Somewhat relaxed, Jim would never have sent me up here if he had felt any strangers were here. He slowly walked further into the room.

Stiffening when the door to his room suddenly flew open, he suddenly fought the urge to laugh. Standing before him were the men of Major Crimes; big, tough, elite detectives; all dressed like Alfalfa from the old Little Rascals television show. Staring at them uncertainly, he noticed them all smiling._ You didn't forget any magazine. Jim Ellison, I am going to get you when I get out of this._

"Well? Where do you want us?"

"What?" _Simon, what are you up to?_

"We're here to learn how not to ask like bullies or rude kids."

_So that's what this is all about._

"Why don't you just sit over by the chalkboard." _You guys are too much sometimes._

"First Question: Whose idea was this?" _Did I just hear the proverbial 'pin drop'?_

"Come on, CHILDREN. Whose idea?"

"Uh, I guess the Simon and I area guilty on that one."

JIM? Staring at his friend, Blair couldn't stop a quick laugh. There, just inside the door to the loft, stood Jim Ellison with drawn on freckles and a bashful grin. _Man, you even have the bow tie and two short sleeves on your jacket_. Smiling at his partner, Blair motioned him toward one of the chairs that had *accidentally*** **been left empty in the front row.

"Well, since you've obviously gone to so much trouble, I guess I had better get started."

Staring at the men sitting before him, all of them looking at him seriously, he perched on the edge of the table_ Which House Rule is this breaking?_ and got comfortable.

"I take it this has something to do with the whole Kay incident."

Mute nods from all present.

"And you want to make sure none of you inadvertently insult me?"

More mute nods all around.

"OK, what do you think are obvious things you can not do?"

"See you in the morning."

Watching the men troop out the door, still in full uniform, Jim smiled contentedly. The evening had been a true success. Blair had told them how he felt about their teasing. _Boy, Chief, I expected you to smile, laugh, and maybe tell the guys that it bothered it a little. I did not expect you to tell them about how you actually felt. I definitely didn't expect for us to all start talking about times we had been picked on._ Looking at Blair slouched on the couch with a cup of tea in his hands; Jim grabbed his own cup and sat down across from him.

"I don't know how you did it, Chief, but thanks."

Opening an obviously sleepy eye, his friend just stared at him for a moment.

"How I did what?"

"How you got us talking. Think about it. You got five detectives to talk about their feelings. More than that, you got us to talk about painful memories *in front of everyone* and not once did any of us try to leave or make any jokes. You got us to talk about ourselves when we were supposed to be talking about you. And then, somehow, you got us to see how you feel not only when you *are* teased but when you're just treated differently. I don't know how you did it but I feel better about not only how we're going to treat you, but about how we are going to treat each other." Reaching out to pat his friends shoulder, he smiled into the eyes that had gone suspiciously damp shortly after he started speaking. "I don't think anyone else could have done it. I KNOW that if I had been the one to ask Rafe about when he was a kid he would have just stared at me or made some quick answer; he would not have told about the time a bully stole his lunch when he was in fourth grade. Joel wouldn't have told me about the guy who picked on his wife and how he felt about it and Brown wouldn't have said anything about the guy who beat him up and led to his wanting to be a cop. YOU were the one who did it. You get us talking about things we would never tell and make it seem normal." Rising to put his cold teacup in the sink, he glanced at his friend and smiled. "You may be the youngest member of Major Crimes, but sometimes I think you are definitely the smartest. And I don't think anyone would disagree that, for all that you may be the most unusual member, you are certainly the easiest to talk to."

"Thanks, Jim."

Looking at his partner's face, eyes bright and expression one of complete shock tinged with appreciation, he just smiled. "Its all the truth. I was a good cop in a good quad until I met you. Since then I have become a great cop, due to my great partner, working in a great squad."

Rinsing out his cup, Jim walked back over and gently ruffled his friend's long hair. "I'm heading up to bed. See you in the morning?"

"Yea. Night."

"Night, Chief." Heading up the stairs, Jim turned to look at his still frozen roommate. _We have got to see about working on your self-esteem, Chief. You may not realize it but you are more important to the Major Crimes than anyone else ever expected. But I promise you, we are going to make sure you realize the truth no matter how long it takes._

Slipping into bed, he listened for the sound that he was always aware of. There... his friend's heartbeat had just slowed into an even rhythm.

_Sleep tight, Chief._

"Hey, you!"

Looking up from his book, Blair had a sudden sense of déjà vu.

"Me?" He asked quietly scooting his chair back from the desk.

"Yea. This is Jim Ellison' desk isn't it?"

"Yea."

"You wouldn't happen to be," He quickly checked a notepad he held in his right hand. "a Mr. Blair Sandburg?"

"Yea, that's me." _What is going on here?_

"You mind signing here?"

Taking the outstretched pad, Blair quickly signed his name on the indicated line._ If he's delivering a package, where is it?_

"What's this for?" He asked the man who was ripping off a sheet of paper.

"Here you go. It will just take me a minute to get your packages, I had to leave them in the hall since I didn't know if this was the right place and I didn't want to have to carry it around."

"Sure, I'll just wait right here." _What did I just sign for?_

"Here you go, Sir." Placing a HUGE box beside the desk, the man just smiled. "Hope its something good. I'd hate to think what kind of bad news comes in a box that big."

"Me too." Blair said as he looked at the box that easily come above his waist. "They scan it downstairs?" He asked suspiciously.

"Yea. They run it through a metal detector and x-ray before they let me bring it up. If they'll be nothing else?"

Suddenly realizing what the man was waiting for, he grabbed the five Jim always kept in the top drawer. _This is addressed to both of us; I signed for it so its only fair you pay the tip._

"Here you go. Thanks for bringing it up."

"No problem. Hope it's something worth the effort."

Look back at the box as he heard the man leave, Blair wondered what it could possibly be. If they x-rayed it it should be safe to open. Gently reaching out to open it, he noticed a note taped to the side. Peeling it off, he silently read it. When he was done reading, he had a huge grin on his face and, without fear, began ripping the tape off the top of the box.

"You decide your backpack was too small?"

Looking up for the speaker, Blair shook his head causing his hair to whip the sides of his face.

"It's from Pearl Azander."

"Who?" As he walked further into the room, Blair continued to talk.

"You remember the little girl we saved about a month ago. She was about seven years old with big brown eyes and copper-red hair? Ran from all of you like you were the plague and took one look at me and wouldn't let go until her father arrived."

"Yea. She treated us like we were about to attack her but let you carry her around and even sat still for you while the medic's took a look at her. What'd she send?"

"Not sure yet. Help me get this packing popcorn out of here."

Scooping the stuff into trashcans, the two men soon found what was in the box. Gently lifting the framed picture, Blair stared at it in silent shock.

"Hey, Rafe. What's that?"

"Seems that little girl we saved last month decided to send Jim and Blair a present."

"What is it?"

"A picture of how *she* saw the rescue."

"What do you mean, how *she* saw it?"

"Turn it around so Brown can see."

Turning the picture slowly, Blair fought to keep the tears from sneaking out of his eyes. Maybe looking different isn't so bad after all.

Leaning the picture against the desk, Blair stepped around to look at it with the other two detectives. It was drawn in crayon and there were obvious smudge marks, but Blair had to admit he though it was rather good.

"Don't they always say that kids see things that the rest of us don't." Brown as his partner with a smile.

"Yea. I guess she just drew what was really there instead of what we saw." Slapping his longhaired coworker on the shoulder, Rafe just grinned at him. "Guess we gonna have to keep you around. Its not often you get to work with an angel."

Looking at them suspiciously, Blair realized that they weren't bothered by how the picture depicted them; instead they seemed pleased by how the picture depicted him.

"Thanks, guys."

"No problem, Hair boy."

"Yea, we can't exactly argue with a seven year old."

Watching them head for their desk and return to work, Blair turned back to the picture. _It really is pretty good._ Staring at it intently, he looked at all the detail that had gone into it. _There, in the corner by the little car, are Jim and Simon. Rafe and Brown are in the other top corner handcuffing a guy in black. Joel is in that corner surrounded by all the little cop cars. And there, in the middle, is me. She must have really liked my hair; it takes up as much room as the entire picture of Jim and Simon. My eyes and shirt match. My backpack is at my feet and there, holding my hand, is Pearl. I wonder if she really saw me like that: standing so much bigger than her, but with a soft smile on my face and a glow around me?_

Looking up when he felt a hand on his shoulder, Blair turned to find his partner smiling at the picture. "I think she like you, Chief."

"Looks like it."

"That the only thing in the box?"

"I guess so." Moving the picture to rest against the desk rather than the box, he looked through the bottom of the box. "I think there's... Jim, man, your arms are longer than mine are. You mind grabbing whatever's down there."

"Sure, Chief."

"Looks like a box. Here you go."

"Wonder what it is?"

"Open it and find out."

Looking at Jim, he noticed a smile in the other man's eyes.

"You know what this is don't you."

"Lets just say I have a *sense* about this sort of thing."

"Oh." Opening the box, Blair grinned and held it out to his friend.

"Care for one?"

"Thanks, Chief. Don't mind if I do."

Taking one of the slightly broken and slightly misshapen cookies from the box, Jim took a bite. _Not bad._

Watching silently as Blair went from desk to desk offering cookies to each of the detectives, he wondered at the changes that this college student had performed on the tough detectives. _I don't think anyone who knew us before he came along would believe how different we are._ Chuckling, Jim smiled as Joel took an extra cookie on the grounds that he was older and therefore need the sugar to keep up with Blair. After everyone had a cookie and was happily munching away while typing and writing up reports, Blair finally headed for Simon's closed door.

Knocking softly, he waited for an answer from within.

"Come"

Slipping inside, Blair grinned at the Captain.

"Want a cookie?"

"A cookie?" Smiling as he took one and motioned Blair to take the seat across from him, Blair took a cookie for himself.

"Yea. Seems Pearl, the little girl that we saved last month, sent them over as a thank you for saving her."

"I thought these cookies looked familiar. They remind me of the ones Daryl used to make when he and Joan decided to make dessert. He used to be so proud; he'd meet me at the door with this plate of deformed cookies and act so proud you'd think they were the crown jewels. You ever make cookies with your mom?"

Getting up to fill a cup of coffee at Simons motioned insistence; he grinned at the idea of Naomi making cookies. "Not really. When Naomi and I cooked together it was usually to make something for a group. They usually divided the cooking between the people, you know, you cook one day and I'll cook the next. Well, when Naomi's turn came she'd start cooking and I'd either make something myself or just help her cut vegetable and stuff. She isn't real big on the whole "cookies and bonding" business."

"You miss that? Not having had a more normal childhood?"

"Sometimes." Taking another bite of his cookie, he thought about Simon's question.

"Sometimes I think it would have been nice to have a more normal childhood. Friends that lasted more than a few months would definitely have been nice, but I don't really regret it. After all, if I hadn't travel around and seen all the things I have I might never have heard of Burton and never gotten interested in Sentinels."

Taking a sip of coffee, he smiled at the man before him. "I might have missed out on a lot, but I also got a lot of things other people don't. After all, how many people can say they have a Blessed Protector AND a group of detectives to look out for him?"

"Not many. But then, how many detectives, and captains, can say they have anthropologist to complain to and about?"

Smiling at each other, the two men finished their cookies in silence.

Sitting at his desk, Jim smiled. Strangers might pick on his friend when he was alone but, if any of the detectives were around, his friend would be protected.

It didn't matter what he looked like or how he acted; he was a member of Major Crimes and they took care of their own.


End file.
